Twilight Reversed
by PonderRose
Summary: The story of Twilight except Jacob and Edward have switched positions. You are a new student at Forks High School where a young and very handsome werewolf imprints on you. After spending some time together, you fall in love with him. Problem is that another entity- a vampire named Edward Cullen- also has his eyes on you. It is a very enduring love triangle.
1. Welcome to Forks

It's incredible how naïve someone can be; I'm no exception. I wasn't a particularly sheltered child. I was introduced to life's trials and pains at a young age, starting when my parents got a divorce. That was difficult for me to comprehend, but I wouldn't say I was an unhappy child. While my father moved to Forks, I lived down south with my mom until I was sixteen years old. She recently remarried to this wonderful man whom took to me like a daughter. Still, as I got older, I longed for my own father more and more. Despite my love for my mom and her new husband, I convinced them that I wanted to live with my dad up in Forks; at least for a few years. Mom cried but relented when I promised to come visit her during Christmas break and the summer. Hand-in-hand, she and her husband drove me to the airport where I was to catch a one o'clock flight to Forks. I was so ignorant of everything that I believed this trip- that moving to a brand-new city and attending a new school- wouldn't be life changing. And I'm pleased to say that I was wrong.

So wrong.

Daddy picked me up from the airport. My father, Charlie Swan, was the chief of police in the small city. He lived alone, never remarrying after he separated from my mother. Though he's not the touchy-feely type, I knew he was happy I had come; even if he didn't express it like me. "What a lovely town," I exclaimed as we drove down the main road, unware of Daddy peering at me through the corner of his eye. "It's nice." "I've never lived this close to the ocean before. I love being not so land-locked." "Coming from back home, it's understandable you feel that way."

Daddy lived in a nice white house near the edge of town. I liked it because there was a forest on one side of the road and a green pasture on the other. Daddy got my luggage out of the trunk and led me inside. "Awe, it's nice!" I said immediately upon entering. "Cleaned it up a little before you came. I also cleared some shelves off for you in the bathroom." "Thank you." My room was at the end of the hall. The smell of fresh paint was still in the air; the walls were all a beautiful shade of pink. "Your mom said you like pink," he explained without prompting. "And the sale's lady picked out the bed sheets; also pink, you know, to match." "You painted for me?! Oh, I love it! Thank you so much."

My father looked at me like he wasn't sure what to make of me. I don't think he was used to hearing "thank you" a lot. But I smiled over at him as warmly as possible. "Ok," his head finally gave a nod. "I'll leave you to it." "Thanks, Daddy." This made him pause that the doorway, peering back in at me again and then leaving without another word. Ahhhhhh, I sighed and set my backpack down; this could work!

I was in the middle of unpacking when a car horn blew outside. Curious, I gazed out my bedroom window at the sound of Daddy talking to someone. He was in the front yard with two very pale men; one older and one younger. I came out when they caught sight of me observing from above; Daddy motioned for me to come down. Being outside gave me a better view of the men. The older one had blonde hair while the younger had brown. I failed to notice him staring right at me from the moment I crossed the front door's threshold.

"Athénaïs, you remember Carlisle Cullen?" "Uh…?" No, I didn't but he looked like was expecting an answer, so I simply smiled. "Hello, sir." "Sir? Well, isn't she the lady?" Carlisle gave Daddy an impressed look. "Well, I am glad that you're finally here. Your father here hasn't stopped talking about it since we heard you were coming." "Alright," Daddy rolled his eyes. "My," Carlisle's head gave a little shake. "She's beautiful, Charlie; and such a lovely name." "Thank you," my smile grew. I did notice Daddy peering at me through the corner of his eye that time. And then, I don't know why it took me so long, but I finally gazed up to who I assumed to be his son for the first time. It was his eyes which I found so striking- those deep, confused eyes.

"Ah, and this my son, Edward." "How do you do, Miss Swan?" "F-fine!" I had to admit, I was a little surprised that he didn't offer his hand out to me. Ladies don't shake hands but they do what my grandmother called "hand grabs", where a gentleman of fine breeding would take a woman's hand in his for a second or so- that's what she said anyways. She was this staunchly, old-fashioned, wonderful woman. She's also incidentally the one who said I needed an elegant name if "I was to marry well"; the great irony being that my name was also the name of two of king Louis the XIV's mistresses.

But despite his cool, collective exterior and very handsome face, Edward refused to offer me his hand. He did look pleased to meet me though, flashing me a brilliant smile. "They brought you a house-warming present," Daddy explained. I watched as Edward then pulled forward a bike. A bike! A lovely, perfect, marvellous bicycle! I had this thing about driving, namely that I never wanted to drive; ever. I refused to get my licence. That being said, I did want to own a motorcycle one day. Mom made me the promise that she would buy me one once I graduated university; I eagerly accepted the offer. Until then however, my favorite mode of transportation was by bicycle. Daddy must have known this, considering he didn't buy me a truck or something.

I goggled the angelic item with wide eyes. "For me….? Is that for me?" "Who else would it be for?" I didn't care about the tone, my arms were wrapped around his neck in a matter of seconds. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" "Heh," Carlisle and Edward chuckled lightly. "You were right; she does like to ride." "Thank you, Daddy. I love it so much!" "Well, thank Carlisle and Edward too. Carlisle drove it here and Edward made sure all the gears are working properly." "Really?" I turned to him in surprise. He merely smiled back at me; a kind, doting smile. "Had to make sure it's safe for you," was all the explanation he gave. Fine by me! He didn't have to do that but I confess, I was a little touched that he would. "T-thank you, Edward!" "Yeah, thanks Edward. I appreciate it," Daddy added. "It's no trouble," he said, though his eyes were still locked onto me. Edward… We stared at each other for a moment. He seemed kind enough; who knows? Maybe we'll become friends; it'd be nice to know someone from here, especially someone so good-looking. And judging by the way he was looking at me, he likely would be onboard.

Excitedly, I rode my bike to my first day of school. "Bicycle! Bicycle! I want to ride my bicycle! I want to ride my bike!" I sang coming down the stairs. Daddy was at the kitchen table having his morning coffee and reading the paper. "Good morning, lovely!" "Lovely?" His eyebrow rose suspiciously. "Men aren't called "lovely", Athénaïs." "They are in England." "You've been spending too much time with your grandmother," though I did see a grin crack at the side of his mouth.

"Do you know the way there?" "I think so. We walked there together just yesterday." "Oh yeah. Well, have a good day at school." "I will! You have fun at work." His eyes gave another exasperated roll. "Work isn't fun, kid." "Then have a not fun but still pleasurable day at work." This made a full grin blossom across his lips. Shaking his head, he returned to his reading. "Call me if you need anything." "Ok!" His eyes widened in shock when I came over to kiss his cheek. "See you later, Daddy." He was so stunned that he didn't reply; I think that was the first time he'd been kissed in years, since I last saw him. But he didn't appear to dislike it; more so he didn't know what to think or feel…. Almost like he forgot what it was like to be loved. But that wouldn't be the case with me there!

Still humming to myself, I grabbed my backpack and ran to my beloved bike outside. School was a ten minute ride away, and I was used to riding on the road; must have been the Dutch in me. I won't lie, my new school looked like a penitentiary. It was made of red brick with few windows. But it was in the same town that my father lived in, so it was perfect to me. Although I realized pretty quickly that biking wasn't as common as I thought it would be; my bike was one of maybe three. But who cares?! I love my bike and I'm gonna ride it every day, whether its popular or not.

People largely ignored me as I walked down the halls, just like at my last school. And why shouldn't they? I was pretty, but so were many other girls. That's why it was so surprising to me when this boy approached me all of a sudden while I was trying to navigate my way around. "Hey! Hey, you're the new kid!" I glanced up to see his finger pointing at me. "The one with the really cool, yet hard to pronounce name. Uh, Ah….. Ah-ta…." "Athénaïs," I gently corrected; he was cute, failing to say my name, which was totally understandable. "Right!" His fingers snapped. "Athénaïs! That's…. really pretty, actually. I think that's the most exotic name in the school." "Heh, and one of the most common at Versailles." "Where?" "Uh, n-never mind," I tried to grin.

"Hi, I'm Eric; the eyes and ears of this place." Eyes and ears? What does that mean? Is he like the class rep or something? It would explain how he knew about me and my arrival. "Um, anything you need- tour guide, lunch date, shoulder to cry on…." Wait, did I look depressed or something? I just moved to my father's house and got a brand-new bike. I was totally not sad. In that way, his offer made zero sense, but I didn't address it. Just kept walking with him. "That's very kind of you." "Hey, I got a question. What's with the three Xs pin on your backpack?" "Huh? Oh! They're for Amsterdam." "Amsterdam? You mean like the Netherlands?" "Yes, I believe so." "Wow! Have you really been there?" "Heh, well I got my love of bikes somewhere." "Whoa! You're like a seasoned traveler." This made me smile; he obviously wasn't but it was still cute. He was easily impressed.

Eric was a pretty nice guy; at least it was nice to know someone at school. More friends were to come. Unfortunately I couldn't negotiate my way out of gym class, which was third period. It confused me to all hell that we didn't have a school uniform but we had a gym uniform, for some reason. Today we played volley ball, which I suck at; I didn't even make an effort. I bike; that's the extent of my physical activity. I stood near the back, trying to avoid the ball whenever possible; some girls were really getting into it. I must have stuck out more than I realized though because on the guys from our team came over to me.

"Hey, you ok?" "Huh?" I blinked to him surprised. He was tall, pale with short messy blonde hair. "You've been standing back here the whole game." "Oh! Oh, I don't play volleyball." This made him smile… for some reason. I was just being honest; nothing more. "You're the new girl, aren't you? The one with the impossible to pronounce name." "Guilty," I grinned. "I'm Mike Newton," he stuck out his hand. I think he was surprised by the way I took it, holding my hand in the position like it was going to be kissed rather than shaken. "Nice to meet you. I'm Athénaïs." "Whoa! That's a cool name! I've never heard it before." "It's French," I gave a little shrug. "It derives from the ancient Greek goddess, Athena." "Interesting," a grin grew across his face.

"Cool name, huh?" A third party, one of the more active girls, joined us. "I'm Jessica, by the way." "Pleasure." "Hey, you're European, right?" "Yes." "Aren't people from Europe supposed to have an accent?" That's…. a little racist. "English is my first language," I tried to be as civil as possible. She seemed to sense the awkwardness in the air while Mike was utterly clueless to the situation. "Really? I thought it would be French?" Oh my god. But I took the opportunity to make a joke. "Trust me, my French is horrible; no one in Paris liked me." "I find that hard to believe." Whoa, that didn't go how I thought it would. In that moment, I noticed Jessica looking at Mike with a sort of contorted expression. Huh, I wonder…..

Mike was particularly nice and attentive to me for the rest of the day. He held the cafeteria door open for me and pulled out my chair. I think he thought that since I was European, I had a little different expectations of men; and he would be right. Still, I couldn't help but notice that this didn't seem to sit well this Jessica, who tried her best to act normally. We joined Eric and some other kids at a table near the center of the cafeteria. I sat in between Eric and Mike, which wasn't "uncomfortable" at all.

"Hey, you met my home-girl…. I mean my lady-friend, Athénaïs," Eric said to Mike the moment we sat down at the table. "Your lady-friend?" He raised an eyebrow. "My girl," we were suddenly interrupted by this other kid, who came over to peck my cheek. The nerve! I spun around in my chair while Mike began to playfully chase him. Jessica took the opportunity to slide closer to me. "Oh my god, it's like first grade all over again; you're the shiny new toy." What's that supposed to mean? I shot her a look. I'm not an object for men to objective; I'm a lady and more than that, I'm a person. But she's young and I guess the culture over here was different than back home. Once again, I did the tactful thing and didn't address it.

And just as if things couldn't get any weirder, this girl with glasses suddenly took my picture with this big camera- without my permission! "Smile!" I blinked a couple of times, unsure what was happening right away. "Sorry, I needed a candid for the future," she explained upon seeing my confused face. "The future's dead, Angela!" Eric beside me exclaimed. "Don't bring it up again," he then got up to come kneel beside me for a second. "I got your back, baby," he patted my arm before leaving. What did he just call me!? The audacity of these guys! I couldn't believe it! They were almost as bad as some Parisians I'd met.

"Guess I'll run another editorial on teen drinking," the new disheartened Angela sulked. Awe, poor Angela, I frowned slightly. "You could write a travel article or feminist piece," I tried to break the suddenly sad atmosphere. "You're into that kind of stuff, aren't you?" "Heh, well yeah. I'm a big fan of both." And Angela's lovely smile returned to her lips. While she and Jessica got to talking, I gazed over at the cafeteria door which was opened by a group of incoming bodies. They were all tanned with jet black hair; if I had to guess, which I would never, I'd say they were first nation.

The girls must have noticed me watching them because Jessica grinned over at me. "They're all from the Quileute tribe outside of Forks. They came here when their residential school closed a few years ago." "They kinda keep to themselves," Angela added. "That's Quil, and he's Embry. Paul- he's got a temper- and Jared with his girlfriend, Kim. They've been together since they started here. Seth, he's the youngest." "Well, at least they got a lot of friends here," I turned down to my food. I was about to eat until the door reopened and I heard Angela and Jessica give a little gasp. Glancing over my shoulder, my eyes grew wide as I felt my heart skip a beat; several beats.

In walked the most beautiful, most perfect man I had ever seen. He was tall and swoll; his hair was short and spiky. And his face…. Oh, his face. To my utter shock and disbelief, he was looking- or rather staring- at me with equally wide eyes. It was like time came to a screeching halt as we just soaked each other in. What felt like an hour turned out to be a few seconds for both of us, with Jessica addressing me and his friends calling for him. We both turned to the respective parties. "Hey, earth to Athénaïs; you ok?" "Uh… y-yeah! I'm fine. Uh, who's he?" I didn't even have to point; they knew who I was talking about.

Jessica peaked over at him, smiling to herself before answering. I knew what that meant, and I absolutely understood why. "That's Jacob Black. He's totally gorgeous, obviously. But apparently no one here is good enough for him. L-like I care, you know…. So yeah, seriously like, don't waste your time." But I wasn't listening; I was looking over my shoulder to where Jacob was sitting. He was also looking at me; an intense, also elated stare. And we stared for I don't know how long. But I remember smiling; a genuine smile. His expression mirrored mine, as we smiled at each other from across the cafeteria.


	2. Meet Jacob Black

Jacob….. Jacob. For some unexplainable reason, I couldn't get him out of my head. Not since I first saw him in the cafeteria. I was thinking about him all the way to class, which Mike walked me to. "Mr. Melina," he said as we crossed the threshold. "Hey, Mike," the teacher looked from the stack of papers he was busy with to us. "Oh, yes; Miss Swan." "Hello sir," I greeted upon entry. Then I looked inside the classroom; imagine my utter delight when I found Mr. Black sitting inside. We were already beholding at one another by the time Mr. Melina got around to me.

"Hello, welcome to Forks, my dear." "T-thank you." "Here's your textbook; is there anything else you think you need?" I gently shook my head. "Right, uh; let's find you a seat….." "She can sit here," I heard Jacob speak for the first time. Oh my god, his voice! It sounded like a mixture of angelic salvation and promised sin. I simply adored it; I don't know where this adoration came from but it was there…. my god, was it there.

This little outburst caught not only the teacher's but everyone's attention in the classroom. "Uh, Miss Swan?" Mr. Melina turned to face me. "Are you alright with that?" "Yes!" I realized I said a little too quickly. "Y-yes, I wanna sit there." "Well, alrighty then; I'll leave her to you, Mr. Black." Jacob flashed the most brilliant smile as I sat down next to him. I set my backpack down and looked over; we stared at each other for a brief moment before he finally broke the silence. "Hi," his voice was low but extremely kind. "Hi…." I said in an even quieter tone. Neither of us were listening as the teacher came down the aisle dropping cups onto our desks.

"What's your name?" "Athénaïs, and your Jacob Black…" "You've already heard about me, I see," his grin grew. "Wow…" "What?" "Nothing, it's just…. I didn't know my name could sound like that." And a sincere smile rolled across my lips. I had no clue where these feelings came from but… it was almost impossible to explain. I felt… I felt almost compelled to be near him. As close as possible…..

We didn't get much work done that class, too distracted talking with each other. It was clear that this was a no-no; not because we neglected to do the project, but by the looks we kept getting from others. Neither of us were in a hurry by the time the bell rang. In fact, I doubt we would have noticed not our respective groups of friends interrupted. "Jake, dude; come on, class is over." "I'm busy," he shot them a glare. I was about to say that it was alright and he could join his friends before Jessica and Mike came over to me. "Come on, Athénaïs; we're gonna be late for English," Jessica urged, while eyeing Jacob. "Uh…." Jacob looked at me. "Can I walk you to class?" He offered in a kind tone. "Already am," Mike cut in. This earned a monstrous glare from Jacob, which I failed to catch. His friends did though, causing them to look at each other in slow realization. "Come on," Mike then ushered me and Jessica up and towards the door. "Oh! Uh, nice talking to you, Jacob!" I called back before leaving. We were out of the room before I could hear his reply.

The rest of the school day was fairly uneventful. I tried to forget about Jacob and carry on, but deep down a part of me kept hoping I'd run into him. When I didn't, I rode my bike home alone. Daddy suggested that we go out for dinner, to celebrate my first day of school. We went for classic fish and chips, at my request. The waiter gave me a strange look when I asked for curry sauce with my chips. "Curry sauce? That an English thing?" I giggled. "Yep! And it's delicious…. unless you order it in Brussels. Then they just mix mayonnaise with curry powder." Instead of laughing, he just gave me one of those "I don't know what to make of you" looks.

"You did…. a lot of traveling with your mom, didn't you?" "Yes. Traveling is easier in Europe." "I never did care for it much," Daddy grabbed a bottle of ketupat; I watched as he attempted to pour some on his plate. "You take after her," he noted without looking at me. I'm not sure if this bothered him or not. Unsure how to respond, I let out a soft smile and peered down at my plate. "My grandmother said I was much more like her than my mother; I think that was supposed to be a compliment to me and insult to her. And yet… I didn't know how to reply," I gazed up at him again; kindly, enduringly….

"I wanted to know in that moment if I actually took after you, but… I didn't know you well enough to make that assessment. In that moment, I missed you so much." And Daddy looked up at me with quiet yet listening eyes. "And then I realized that it doesn't matter if I'm like you or not. You're still my father," my hand reached out to grab his, giving it a squeeze. "I wanted more than anything to move to Forks with you." Daddy didn't respond verbally, just instead staring at me and holding my hand. We stayed like that for some time; long enough for our food to get cold.

Mom called me that night; I was so happy to hear from her. "Hey, baby! How's life in Forks with your old man? You having fun?" "I love it here, and I love being with Daddy again. Mom, you should see this bike he bought me!" "Oh good! You love bikes! We still got yours here in the parkade." "Heh, oh Mom; I miss you." "I miss you too, sweetheart. Now, tell me all about your school. What are the kids like? Any cute guys? Are they being nice to you?" I couldn't help but smile; she was so cute! "Don't worry, Mom. Everyone is very... welcoming." "Oh. Tell me all about it." "It's no big deal. There's just this one guy." She gasped. "Who is he?! Is he cute? What's his name?" "Cute's not the right word. He's…. handsome; beautiful." "Oh, Athénaïs! I think I smell a prom date!" "We barely know each other," I twiddled with my pencil. "Well, you have all year to get to know him." "Yeah…" Yeah, I guess I do.

Ok, I'll admit it; I was excited to see Jacob in biology class. We'll probably sit next to each other again, meaning we'd have the opportunity to talk more. The very thought made me smile wide as I rode my bike to school. But to my disappointment, he never showed up to class or school. I was a little bummed at first, but my new friends helped to lift my spirits. We walked to class and ate together; I started to develop a new routine with them. But… three days later, when I was feeling a lot better, I started to notice that things were a little off. It started with Quil and Seth, the only two kids from the Quileute tribe currently at school, watching me from across the cafeteria. It was weird; I could feel their eyes on me but… it didn't feel stockerish or lustful. It felt confused and even a little protective; like they were keeping an eye on me, weird as that sounds. I knew that was crazy and obviously not the case but still…. I glanced for what felt like the fifth time over my shoulder to catch them looking at me. They didn't even try to hide it. And that was just the start of it.

The next morning, I was listening to Innsbruck by Owain Phyfe while brushing my teeth and hair. Daddy ascended the stairs to come see me. Leaning against the bathroom's door post with one hand on his hip, his head gave a little shake while a faint grin lurked in the corner of his lips. "You didn't get your music tastes from me. How did my kid end up liking French opera?" "I love opera music," I gave my hair a tussle while facing the mirror. "You can keep your Back Street Boys, but you haven't heard a real man sing until you've heard Toreador." "Oh boy," he gave a slight chuckle. "Would it kill you to be normal for a while?" "And give up my Edith Piaf? Never," I flashed him a cute smile. "I saw her grave, by the way." "It wouldn't hurt for you to say out of cemeteries too." "Even famous ones in Paris?" "This isn't Paris, kiddo." "Tell me about it! The guys here are so tame, if not really… juvenile." Still, they… some are still stunning; more stunning than a French or even Italian seigneur.

"Come outside when you're done. I'll drive you school," Daddy turned to go downstairs. "Oh, I don't mind riding!" "It's raining out, kid." "It is?" I leaned out in such a way to peer out my window. "That's alright, I've rode in rain lots of times." "The drivers here aren't used to bikers on the road. I'd prefer to drive you in this weather." "Ok, then I'll be down in a few minutes," I flashed him a smile. He was halfway the stairs when the opera started up again and I could practically feel his eyes roll from the bathroom.

I learned an interesting and slightly alarming bit of news on the ride to school. "I'll probably be late for dinner. Gotta head over to Maison county." "Why? Is everything ok?" "A security guard at the Graceland Mill got killed by some kind of animal." "An animal?" This caught my attention. "What kind of animal? Should I be concerned? Do you want me to stay of the woods?" "Easy, it was a while away; you should be safe here." "In theory." Daddy took in a deep breath. "The forests here are different; people aren't the only dangerous animals out there." "But I'll be safe on the roads, right?" "You'll be fine, sweetheart." I blinked to him in astonishment; that was the first time he'd call me anything besides Athénaïs or "kid". And I couldn't stop myself from immediately smiling.

Eric and Mike got into the habit of walking me to class in turns. This time was Eric's turn as he walked to me biology, talking the whole way there. "Prom committee's a chick thing, but I've got to cover it for the paper anyway and I need a guy to help choose the music." "Ok, first thing: there's no such thing as "a chick thing"," I corrected. "All gender "norms" are prescribed by society which are impressed onto us since birth. Simone de Bouvier says that we have no inherent gender, it is all a construct. So yes, Eric; there is nothing emasculating about you being on the prom committee." He just looked at me for a second. "Oh right, feminist. Well, thank you," his lips curled to a grin. "It's nice to know I can be on the prom committee without completely bulldozing my masculinity." "Your personality, on the other hand," Mike added, coming up from behind us. "Shut it!" But Mike wasn't listening to him anymore, smiling at me.

"What's up, Amsterdam?! How you liken' the rain, girl?" Mike sprinkled some hat from his hat onto my head, cause that's attractive. "You better get used to it, girl." He's obviously never been to Europe in the winter; this was normal to me. "Yeah, hey Mike; you're real cute, man," Eric smirked sourly. While they got to bantering, I walked further inside. Imagine my utter delight at the sight of Jacob sitting at our desk again. He instantly looked at me and smiled; his gorgeous, luminescent smile. And I smiled back, going straight to sit right beside him. "Hi, Athénaïs." "Hello, Jacob." "Uh, listen. I'm sorry I….." Before he could continue, Mr. Melina began speaking to the class. "Onion root cells; that's what's on your cells right now. So, separate and label them into the phases of mitosis, and the first partners who get it right are gonna win the golden onion," he held a whole onion up to the class from the front of the room.

Jacob smiled at me and gently slid the microscope my way. "Ladies first." This made me mirror his expression. He was a gentleman, and I rather enjoyed that. "It's pro-phase, I think," I checked the cell. Then I scooted to over to him. "Do you want to check?" "No," his head gave a little shake, still grinning. "I know you're right. You're smarter than me." "How can you know that?" I laughed a little. "Well look at you. You have this air about you." "Snobbery? Arrogance?" "Intelligence." This made my eyes widen a little. Sure, guys have complimented me before; usually on my looks. But he was the first to ever say anything like that before. It was like…. like his eyes were digging deep inside me, beneath the skin. He may have thought I was pretty but that wasn't what he found appealing about me. There was something else, something deeper….

"Listen, I'm sorry I disappeared like that." "It's ok, we only had one class together and I'm sure you had a good reason." "I did, it's….. family matters; extended family." "Is everything ok? We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to!" Jacob flashed me yet another dazzling grin; that was like the third in five minutes. Not that I was complaining. "It's ok, it should be fine now. I'm glad to see you're doing well. How are liking the weather? Is it too cold for you?" "No," I shook my head while glancing out the window thoughtfully. "It's gonna sound weird but I love the rain." "Really?" "Oh yes. Sometimes, when I was back home, I'd deliberately plan my walks when I knew it would be raining. Then, to my mother's annoyance, I'd go outside without an umbrella just so I could feel the rain on my face and in my hair," I paused for a moment as if to be remembering something pleasant. Jacob waited patiently for me to continue.

"I think… I think that's one of those feelings of being alive; feeling the rain drop onto your skin. It's almost like magic when you think about it. Water falling from the sky; that's a bizarre concept in itself but to falling onto you… it blows my mind every time. Bit silly, isn't it?" "N-no!" Jacob suddenly straightened up like he had been listening to me intently. "I've never heard anyone describe rain like that before. I think you're the first person I've ever met who actually likes getting rained on." "Me too," I chuckled. "Everyone else thinks I'm crazy. Weird…" "You're not weird," he said, making me look at him. He was naturally smiling back at me. "You're one of a kind." "Really?" "Hey, I might not be as smart or like the rain as much as you, but I know personality when I see it." "Thank you," I smiled. He kept making me smile, over and over. It never ended, and secretly, I didn't want it to end.

"Is that why you moved here? You like the rain?" Jacob broke the silence after a minute. "Heh, no," I answered while writing down on our work sheet. "My mother recently remarried." "And what? You don't like the guy?" I may have been imagining things, but I could have sworn I detected a hint of aggression in his voice. "Oh no! I love him; Phil is a wonderful husband and step-father. But… it's just, I wanted to spend some time with my real father before I graduated." Jacob merely replied with a solemn head nod. "I haven't… I haven't lived with him since my parents got a divorce. I miss my mom and Phil, of course, but…. I need to be with him for a while. Just a little while, I think."

"So you're not planning on moving back anytime soon?" "No." "Good," he said in the most elated way possible, which caught me off guard. Though I chose not to address it; I'm sure it was nothing bad. Not him, not Jacob…. Again, I had no idea where these emotions came from, but they were there and intense. Instead of fighting them, I was just going to coast; they didn't seem harmful. No…. if anything, they made me happy. He made me happy. My eyes lowered onto Jacob softly. There was something about him that made me happy.


	3. Dodging Van Collision

"Hi, Athénaïs. Sorry about this but you're gonna have to walk home. I'm still stuck out here in Maison county." "Oh, that's fine! I don't mind walking," I was on the phone with Daddy as I entered the parking lot; it was a short cut to the road home. "M'kay, is it still raining?" "No." "Heh, well don't sound too disappointed." "Alright," I chuckled lightly. "I'll see you at home, ok?" "Ok. Go ahead and have dinner without me; I'm not sure when I'll be home." "Alright, I love you, Daddy." There was a brief pause. "Love you too, kiddo." Then he hung up; I knew that was still awkward for him, but it was important to me that he felt loved, no matter how he showed it to me.

I made my way down the school's parking lot towards the road home. I'd like to take the forest path home, but I knew Daddy would prefer me to stay on the sidewalk; so that's what I'll do! On my way, I passed a jeep where all the Quileute tribe kids were hanging out. Admittedly, I was hoping to see Jacob; imagine how my heart leapt when I spotted him near the back. He perked up, as if he sensed something- yes, I know that sounds bizarre- and his eyes instantly landed on me. My feet came to a halt as we stared at each other, smiling beginning to bloom across both our faces. His friends looked just before Jacob was about to make his way across the pavement to me. Before he could even take two steps, we all heard someone shriek "look out, Athénaïs!" I had enough time to look and my eyes grew gigantic. There was screaming, the sounds of feet running on the concrete, and tires skidding out of control. My eyes went from huge to shut in a matter of seconds as I braced myself. And I know what you're thinking; why didn't I just jump out of the way. No, there was literally no time. All I could do was close my eyes…. close my eyes and wait.

The next thirty seconds are honestly a blur; I have barely any memory of them. I do know that I was pushed back by something; I don't know what. But I didn't go hurling down. Instead I opened my eyes to find Jacob Black holding me tightly in one arm; the other was pushing the black truck back. I didn't….. I didn't even think to ask him what just happened; it was all so sudden. With the truck securely stationary now, Jacob's head turned to me, scanning me up and down several times. "Athénaïs, Athénaïs are you alright? Are you ok? Look," his now free hand came up to steady my head. "Look at me; look me in the eye," I knew that he was checking my pupils. When that seemed fine, his attention moved to the rest of my body. "Does it hurt anywhere? I need you to tell me." My head gave a little shake; my brain was still rattled from the situation. "Are you sure?" He pressed. Another soft headshake. "Ok," he sighed, though he didn't sound totally relieved.

I did blink in confusion however, when I suddenly found myself being scooped up into Jacob's strong arms. He held me close to him princess-style. "U-uh…." My mouth couldn't form words in that second. "I'm taking you to the hospital," Jacob announced like I didn't have a say in the matter. "N-no, t-that's ok," man, my voice was shaky. "No, it's not ok. You need to be examined by a professional. You're going to the hospital; end of story." "Ok," with no energy left to put up an unsteady argument, I shut my eyes and rested my head against his chest. It felt good…. really good. Just like that, with everyone in the parking lot gawking at us with wide, stunned eyes, Jacob carried me out to the main sidewalk and straight to the hospital.

"Athénaïs!" My head lifted slightly at the sound of my father bursting through the hospital room's door. This was followed by a relieved sigh as I turned to look at him; neither of us were smiling. "Are you ok? Are you alright?" He immediately came over to me. Spotting the boy who was driving the truck did bring a color of anger to his face. "You!" His finger pointed accusingly at him. Uh oh, I already felt bad for him; I didn't know his name. He perked up immediately at my father's stern tone too. "You and I are gonna talk." "Daddy, it's not his fault," it kinda was but I didn't want my father to destroy this poor boy. He already looked beyond terrified; his expression was almost as animated as Daddy's. "You can kiss your licence goodbye." "Please, Daddy; don't," maybe begging will work. Mr. Driver Boy went into immediate salivation mode. "Athénaïs, I'm so sorry!"

Daddy was having none of it, drawing the curtain between us and huffing angrily. Before I could say anything more the door opened and a man in a wheelchair rolled out. "I heard the chief's daughter was here," he said with a friendly smile. This man was first-nations, just like Jacob, though I didn't know if they were from the same tribe. "Ah, Dr. Black." Dr. Black? "Charlie," he nodded to my father before turning to me. "And this must be… At-ta-nay-noos? That's an interesting name you got there, darling." "Thank you," I returned his pleasant demeanour. We watched as he scanned over my chart intently. "Well, love; looks like you had quite a shock. How are you feeling?" "Alright." "Look here," his hand rose up in front of my face, followed by a flashlight to my eyes. I couldn't help but notice how closely, almost nervously Daddy was observing the scene; nibbling on his thumb quietly.

"You might experience some post-traumatic stress disorientation, but your vitals look good. No signs of any head trauma. I think you'll be just fine," Dr. Black's smile grew. The wave of relief on Daddy's face, though he didn't verbally proclaim it. Just sighed and looked at me. That's when I got a thought; a very important thought. "How's Jacob?" Both men blinked in confusion to my query. "H-he brought me to the hospital. I-I just wanna know if he's alright." "Jacob? You're boy?" Daddy asked Dr. Black. He hesitated for a moment, for some reason. Why would he be reluctant to answer that? Jacob either was his son or wasn't; it's not a hard question. But I didn't want to push Dr. Black if he didn't want to tell us. Instead, I turned my attention back to Jacob and his wellbeing.

"Why did Jacob bring you to the hospital?" Daddy cut in before I could ask again. "Uh, well, actually…. he's the one who saved me from the van. He blocked it…. somehow." "Athénaïs, that's impossible," he countered matter-of-factly. "Well, I don't…. I don't know how; it just happened. One moment the van was racing towards me and the next, Jacob was there….." Daddy just turned to Dr. Black, who was biting his lower lip strangely. He seemed… uncomfortable oddly enough. When he realized that we were looking at him, he flashed me a concerned grin. "You are a very lucky girl." "T-thank you!" That caught me off guard. Lucky how? Well, I knew I was lucky to still be alive right now, but in what sense did he mean? And I still didn't know how Jacob was! The men spoke to each other now, not giving me the opportunity to inquire again. "You'll need to fill out some paperwork, Charlie. I'll go get them for you." "Thanks, Billy. Uh, why… why don't you go wait for me in the hallway, Athénaïs? Give your mom a call; she's probably worried sick." "You already called her?" I sounded surprised, which I was. "On the way to the hospital." "Thank you, Daddy; I appreciate it. Yeah, I'll go give her a call now. Let her know everything's ok." "Ok. Don't wander off." "I won't," I promised as I left the ward.

It didn't take me long to start hearing voices down the bend of the hall. They became more distinct as I got closer. Morality suddenly kicked in when I was just nearing the corner; I shouldn't listen into their private conversation. That was forgotten however, when I recognized two of the voices. One was Dr. Black and the other's…. was Jacob! "I wasn't going to stand around and do nothing; I acted on instinct." Jacob, my eyes grew. "No one's blaming you, Jake. I would have done the same if it was Emily," I didn't know that voice. It sounded like an adult male, kind of husky, and very authoritative. "You didn't have to dent the car with your hand," said Dr. Black.

It was around now that their conversation suddenly stilled. The air felt tense and full, if that makes any sense. It may sound bizarre, but I actually think they knew I was listening, or at least nearby. But no, that's impossible; they'd have to have x-ray vision or super scent-power for that. Still, it was eerie how they all just stopped talking. Nothing happened for a moment, with only Dr. Black breaking the awkward silence ten seconds later. "Jacob," was all he said before I heard the sound of footsteps and his wheelchair going away. Taking in a short breath, I waited to step out into view; it was still unclear if they knew I was there or not.

Jacob was already facing my direction when I emerged. We ogled one another for a second, our lips parted slightly. It wasn't long however, for him to rush over to my side, where I was more than happy for him to be. "Athénaïs! Are you ok?! Should you be standing up like this? Why aren't you in ward still?" He sounded as concerned as he looked; his eyes repeatedly scanning me over for any sign of injury or bodily stress. This guy, my own gaze lowered onto him softly. After all that, he's still so worried about me…. It felt… I won't lie, it felt really good right then. I couldn't help but give a little enlightened nod. A touched nod…

"I-I'm alright. How are you?" "Huh?" "How are you, Jacob? I wanted to know how you're doing." The expression on his face… I could tell that made him happy; he was pleased to hear that I was thinking about him too. "Better now," his eyes softened warmly onto mine; his posture shifting to one of relief. "Good, I was worried," I smiled. How could I not smile at that? Neither of us spoke right away after this, quietly enjoying the other's presence. Jacob glanced away, smiling to himself and rubbing the back of his gorgeous hair. I didn't really think about much else in that moment; it actually took a while for the thought of him literally stopping the van with his bare hand to pop back into my mind. But when it did…

"Um, Jacob, listen…. I… I wanted to ask about….." "About how I stopped the van?" His lips flashed me a brilliant knowing grin, and I thought I might melt. Jacob Black: though I didn't know him very well, I could already tell that he was the perfect mixture of personality and looks. It didn't help when his head gave a little shake. I loved his hair; it's color, it's style, it's smell… "Erm, well…." My train of thought was broken by his struggling to give me a proper response. "You see, I uh… I just um…." He's really having a hard time with this, my eyes began to grow understandingly. No; no I don't want him to feel flustered, I immediately realized. Funny; that felt more important to me than hearing an answer at the time. I just didn't want to do anything that would stress him out. Not after he saved me like that.

"It's ok; you don't have to tell me," I heard myself say out loud; huh, I don't remember deciding to verbally communicate that. Oh well. Jacob peered back up at me with relieved yet conflicted eyes. Seeing that I was serious, his lips let out a small sigh. "I'm sorry, Athénaïs. I want to tell you but…." "No, Jacob; it's fine," my hand rose up to stop him. He didn't owe me an explanation. The thankfulness in his face… That- that right there made it all worthwhile. I unconsciously smiled back at him; a long, true smile. "I'm glad you're alright." "Me too," his grin widened.

I suddenly felt my whole body freeze as his two incredibly strong arms reached out for me. "Come here," he whispered. Literally like a scene from a movie, I experienced Jacob holding me, embracing me correctly for the very first time. Within seconds, this man pressed me up against him, and man, let me tell you. Call me out if you must, but there such a thing as a perfect hug. This was it; holy hell, was this it. There are no words in the English language to do it justice. But I will try. Imagine finding the most perfect sweater that fits your body flawlessly. Feeling protected yet cradled at once. It was so glorious that I actually shut my eyes, and although it only lasted for two seconds, I never forgot that feeling. Never.

We entered a paradox the moment our bodies touched. It felt like an eternity, and that still wasn't long enough. Jacob was the first to pull away. Well, "pull" is not the right word; more like jumped back. I think he didn't realize he was hugging me until after the fact; perhaps acting on instinct again? He did comprehend what he was doing and let me go. He seemed almost afraid that he frightened me or something, taking a step back and staring down at the floor. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… I didn't mean to uh, hug you like that. It was so out of the blue, I'm sorry." "Uh, no! It's fine," I really enjoyed it, actually. But I couldn't say that out loud; we didn't know each other very well just yet. Jacob gazed up to analyze my expression. When he saw I was sincere, he physically relaxed a little.

"There is one thing, Jacob." "What's that?" Boy, did his tone flip on a switch; he was suddenly nervous again. To help calm his nerves, I smiled directly at him; the warmest smile I could muster, which wasn't hard. "Thank you…. for saving me." He blinked a couple of times like he didn't know what to make of this. Eventually he simply nodded, a soft nod. "You're welcome." We were still smiling at each other by the time my father turned the corner. It was hard to rip my eyes away from Jacob when Daddy called for me. And I left, still feeling all warm and fuzzy from that hug. Yes, that sensation is something I never forgot; it was too magnificent to let slip away.


	4. Questions

"I need everyone's permission slips!" Mr. Melina called out to everyone; the whole class was gathered in the school's parking lot. I had parked my bike, and not gonna lie, immediately started scanning around for Jacob. Our eyes locked around the same time; he was on the other side of the lot with his usual group of friends. They all turned to look at me, making me feel a little awkward. Still, I was planning on going over to see Jacob, to ask how he was doing today. Or at least I was before Mike got in front of me from out of nowhere. I paused mid-step to blink at him bewildered from his sudden arrival.

"Look at you, huh? You're alive!" His hands went up in the air all dramatically. "Uh, yeah! No injuries or anything." "Erm, now I wanted to ask you, you know, if uh… um you know, it's like a month away but uh…. do you, um wanna go… wanna go to prom?" Prom? My eyes instinctively rolled back to Jacob, who did not appear happy at the moment. I could swear he was glaring daggers at the back of Mike's head. "So, what do you think?" Mike pushed when I failed to provide any sort of answer. "Oh, prom; right! Um, well I'm not really into dances." "What are you talking about? You said you went to galas in Europe," he automatically retorted. "Y-yeah, that's not really the same thing," there's a huge difference between a high school dance and a ball. "Well, we could still have fun," Mike kept pushing; gees. "Sorry, Mike; I can't. Even if I wanted to go, I'm going to Vancouver that weekend." "You can't go another weekend?" Wow! What an entitled, pompous question. I frowned, unimpressed with his lack of respect for my pre-arranged plans. I said I'm busy; that's the end of it. "No," I stated flatly; I didn't owe him an explanation. "Yo, guys; we gotta go! Green is what? Good, let's go!" Mr. Melina hollered out to us. We went to meet the others and get on the bus. Unfortunately for me, Jacob and his crew took the other bus.

The botanical gardens were lovely. If it's one thing I loved, it's cultivated gardens and greenhouses. I was at our city's botanic gardens all the time back in Europe. Mr. Melina led us through each greenhouse one at a time. "Eggshells, carrot tops; compost is cool! Mix that stuff in there," he directed Nick, who was pumping the compost bin. Mr. Melina filled a clear glass mug with its product. "Now I'm gonna make a steaming cup of compost tea. Yeah, this is recycling in its most basic form. Don't drink it! It's for the plants."

While the class was busy with that, I snuck off to the side to get a sniff of the beautiful rosemallows. They grew everywhere in Southern Spanish gardens; ones of my favorite. During this little detour, Jacob took the opportunity to sneak over to me. I greeted him with an affectionate grin. "Hi," he mirrored my pleasant expression. "Hi," my smile blossomed wider. "How are you feeling today?" "Better, you'd never know what happened yesterday." "Oh good," a slight sigh of relief fell from his lips. "How are you doing?" "Me? Oh, I'm fine; just wanted to check on how you're doing." "That's sweet of you," my gaze softened. "Thanks…"

A moment of quiet fell over us. Jacob broke the silence with a rub to the back of the neck. "Uh, I don't mean to ask out of the blue, but what's in Vancouver?" "Huh?" "Vancouver? You said you were going there next month." I did? Wait… "H-how… how did you know about that?" "I… overheard you tell whats-his-face." "You heard us from that far away?" "I have good hearing," he smirked. "Uh, well; my mother's flying over from Europe. She has a conference in Vancouver and wants me to come visit her." "Is it safe?" "Is Vancouver safe?" I blinked confused by his question. "Yeah," no hesitation. "Well, yes; safer than most cities I've lived in anyway." This did not please him to hear; his startled and alarmed facial reaction gave him away. I giggled a tad in response; awe, Jacob. "Don't worry; it'll be safe. I'll have an escort everywhere." "Your new stepfather?" "Exactly," I flashed him a lovely smile. Seemingly comfortable with this, he nodded and positioned another flower for me to smell. I gave him a puzzled look, to which he grinned warmly. "I saw you smelling them earlier. This one smells the best." "How do you know?" And he met me straight on in the eye. "I know."

"Tell me about Europe. Do you miss it?" Jacob and I made our way outside together. Neither of us noticed nor cared how many people were watching us, for some reason. "I do, but I'm happy to be here with my father; we haven't spent much time together since the divorce." "Your dad seems like a reserved kind of guy." "He is, but he shows his love in his own way. I'm so happy to be with him again," my eyes lowered as I stared off forward. "I bet he's glad you're back too." "Thanks, Jacob. Or would you prefer I call you Jake?" "You can call me whatever you want. Hey, do you want to ride back on our bus? I still wanna hear about Europe." "I….."

"Hi!" Before I could answer another Quileute tribe member came over to us. "Uh, this is my best mate, Embry Call," Jacob introduced him a bit cumbersomely- to my slight surprise. What about this situation was awkward? "Hey girl, what's up? Been waiting to meet you!" "Uh?" My eyes rolled to Jacob perplexed. Waiting to meet me? Why? "You're all Jacob's been talking about for the past two weeks," he chuckled, earning a sharp elbow to the ribcage. "Ow! What was that for?" But Jacob just responded with a "shut it" glare. Talking about me for two weeks? This was more startling than I thought it would be. I mean, we've only known each other for that long. Why would Jacob talk about me before he really knew who I was? I didn't understand.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't learn anymore; it didn't come up again. We took the bus back together and I robe my trusty bike home. Daddy was already there, drinking coffee and reading the paper at the kitchen table. Ah, what a sight to come home to; my beloved father peacefully relaxing in our shared kitchen. That was a good end to the day. Or at least it was until he told me about my mother's caring harassment. "Your mom called, again," he informed me flatly. "Uh, I'll give her a call tonight." "Thanks, kid. You know how your mom likes to worry. That being said, she seems different…. She seems happy." I didn't say anything, only nodding my head. What was I supposed to say to that? "Phil seems like an alright guy." "He is. I like him very much." Daddy didn't reply after that; just gave one firm head nod and turned back to his paper. That was the end of that.

Since the day Embry told me that Jacob was speaking about me with others in the Quileute tribe, Jacob had been acting… different. Everyone in the group was acting unusual actually; like quieter, almost secretive. Now, let's assume I'm crazy for a second: it was like they were trying to hide something- something from me. I know that's utterly insane; what kind of secret would they have to hide, especially from someone like me? See? Crazy. It must be something else; it must be….. I just couldn't think of what. And I wasn't sure if I should bring it up with Jacob either. He hadn't really gone out of his way to talk to me since that afternoon. He still smiled at me at every opportunity and sat beside me in class, but any conversation was minimum. It's like…. it's like he was trying to keep his distance without actually leaving my side, if that makes any sense. God, now I sound super narcissistic! I'm probably overthinking everything; in all actuality, it likely has nothing to do with me. Still…

"Hey? Hey, earth to Amsterdam." I turned my attention back to my group of friends. We were currently sitting at our usual table in the cafeteria. "Huh? Oh, sorry! What was that?" "La Push, baby. You in?" Eric asked. "Where?" My eyebrow rose. "La Push down at the coast. We're all going tomorrow," Mike explained. "And there's a big swell coming in," Jessica added. Swell? What the heck is a "swell"? Is that American lingo for "storm"? "And I don't just surf the internet!" Eric got up in an animated fashion. "Eric, you stood up once, and it was on a foam board," she didn't hesitate to shoot him down. "There's whale-watching too. Come with us," glasses girl- I can't remember her name- pressed particularly nicely. "La Push, baby; it's La Push." "Well alright. Sure, why not?" Why not indeed.

I'll admit, I wasn't expecting Jacob to come meet me at the salad bar; not after the way he'd been acting for the past two days. I went to fetch a peach when he came over to my side. I'd also be lying if I said this didn't make me super happy, and Jacob seemed to feel the same considering the big grin he gave me. "Uh, hey Athénaïs." "Hi, Jacob," I wasn't really sure what else to say. It felt like he wanted to say something to me anyway. "Listen, about these past couple of days, I can explain…." "Did I…. do something wrong?" "No!" His hands shot up, making me flinch slightly. Seeing my reaction, he went into immediate repair mode. "I mean no; no, you didn't do anything. It's just, uh…. What Embry said the other day….. it sounded weird, I know." "It does…." I admitted; I couldn't lie to him even if I tried, and I wouldn't. But Jacob was so serious; this was a serious, no-nonsense deal for him.

"I… I didn't mean to come off like a stocker or anything. It's… it's just… complicated. But I just wanted you to know that nothing freaky is going on….." Boy, that last part didn't sound confident. Still, he was trying, and I was satisfied with this. I knew Jacob would never harass me; I already knew from the moment Embry spoke that there was nothing potentially dangerous going on. Clearly Jacob wasn't telling me the whole picture and that's alright; he'll tell me what he's comfortable with in his own time. Maybe I forced myself to be alright with this because I didn't want to put him in an awkward, possibly compromising position. I already liked him too much. I liked him….

With a softening, tender grin, my stance shifted to a more welcoming one. "Listen, Jacob; why don't we….? Would you like to…. hang out with me… sometime?" His expression turned to a myriad of competing emotions. He looked elated, sorry about something, angry with himself, a little excited, and regretful all at once. I took his lack of verbal response to formally extend the invitation. "Everyone's going to the beach this Saturday; come…. I-I mean please come, if you want." Jacob thought quietly to himself for a minute before meeting my gaze. "Which beach?" "La Push."

Jacob's face instantly darkened, taking me back a bit. It was like….. he was both mad and nervous all of a sudden, for some reason. Still, I waited for him to reply to my invite in attempt to be polite. "Why are you going to that beach?" "U-uh because they asked me to go?" I didn't choose the location. Jacob's head turned to glance over at my friends, eyeing them for a second. This definitely took me by surprise; why would he do that? It was almost like he was sizing them up, physically. I was so dumbfounded by this that I couldn't even address it; I just stood there watching, like a moron. When he turned back to me, he didn't look satisfied.

"Do you….. have to go?" "Excuse me?!" "I mean just to that beach." "W-why? Is it dangerous? Is it like a drug hangout?" "Well no, not exactly…." His broad hand rubbed the back of his head anxiously. "Jacob, is something wrong? You're acting…." I had to cut myself off; don't say "weird". I didn't want to hurt his feelings, as bizarre as that sounds. I know I should have been asking more questions; I know I should have… But I really, really wanted to trust Jacob. I wanted him to open up to me in his own time, if he did.

After another rub to the back of the neck, a brand-new smile crossed his lips; a tender, worried smile. His eyes fixed gently onto mine. "I wanna go, but I can't. That beach is kind of off-limits to us." Don't ask why, Athénaïs; don't ask…. "Oh," instead of asking, I made my eyes look downwards. They did widen however, when Jacob took a couple of steps closer to me. I couldn't see it anymore, but I could feel his grin growing; it grew with each step. "Just promise me… promise me you'll be careful." "Careful?" "Please…." He sighed; a desperate sigh. He wasn't asking; he was begging. "I'll be careful, Jacob. I won't go into the water." "It's not the water I'm worried about."


	5. La Push

For some, unexplainable reason, I couldn't get my mind off Jacob. Even here at La Push, no matter what I did or where I went, he was always right there; somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind. And I'm not sure I wanted him out either. He was in my subconscious when my friends were getting suited up for surfing.

"Hey, it's freezing!" "I'm paddling out, Coates." "I don't know if it's worth it anymore." "We drove all the way out here." "Yeah, she's right." "You guys are babies." I wasn't paying attention to was speaking; my eyes were glued out onto the water instead. Though they were watching the waves, they were off somewhere far, far away…. Somewhere where things made sense; where "he" made sense. My lips instinctively parted a sliver. I wanted to be there right now…..

"Athénaïs?" "Huh?!" My spine straightened up startled. "Did you hear me? I said I keep thinking that Eric's gonna ask me to the prom, and then he just doesn't." Oh- boy trouble. Not exactly what was on my mind; I would never consider Jacob "a problem". "Why don't you ask him?" I asked, not really invested in the conversation. "It doesn't work like that," glasses-girl head gave a light shake. She's right; well, I mean technically she can but that's not what I was used to. Men chased women back in Europe, despite how sexist that sounds. And don't get me wrong; there's nothing wrong with a woman asking a man out! It's just something I haven't seen a lot, at least where I lived. Let's just say I don't chase men; men pursue me, without that sounding narcissistic. "Hey, will you do me up?" Jessica interrupted my train of thought. "Yeah," glasses-girl did so immediately, like the good friend she is. While they were doing that, I turned back out to see a familiar face coming in our direction. It took me a moment to remember his name, his essence…

"Miss Swan," the pale, lovely man greeted with a warm smile as he approached us. "Edward," I grinned back. He caught my friends' undivided attention upon arrival, and I knew introductions were in order. "This is Edward Cullen." "Uh….." Jessica's mouth hung open for some reason. "Hello ladies," he said as smoothly as possible. This man, my eyes lowered lightly onto him. He's got old fashioned English charm; I'll give him that. They watched as Edward came over to sit beside me in the van; it was clear who he wanted to talk to, though I didn't know why. My thoughts honestly were still with Jacob. Still, I tried to be polite without acting flirty.

"Come down for a scroll along the beach?" "This is our uh, territory, you could say," his response was very cryptic. I tried to ignore it, still smiling gently. "Are you surfing, then?" "No. Are you?" My head gave a soft shake. "Never been surfing in my life," and wasn't about to start now. "You should keep Amsterdam here company," glasses-girl said innocently enough. This earned an immediate side glare from Jessica- which I caught- followed by a passive-aggressive smirk. "Yeah, her date bailed." "What date?" Edward's tone instantly quickened; it caught me off guard a little, to be honest. By the time I blinked over to him, his expression had already altered to one of dismay, even worry I'd say. Why…. why would he….? I literally had no idea what was going on in that moment. Why did he look so concerned all of a sudden? What was there to be concerned about?

"She invited Jacob. Isn't that sweet?" Ok, that got my gears grinding; I didn't hesitate to fire off a look straight at Jessica. Yes, it was sweet; I wanted to spend time with him. Was that so weird? Edward also didn't look at all pleased with how this situation was going. Jessica wasn't slow either; she immediately understood what our faces conveyed. "What? I think it's nice you invited him. No one ever does." By now Nick and Mike were also coming over, only grabbing the last part of her statement. "Yeah, cause Black's a freak," Mike added, like a moron. I frowned, scandalized by what they were saying. "Jacob's not a freak," I actually heard myself blurt out loud, as if wanting to redeem his reputation from "freakdom" in their eyes. "Yeah he is," Nick laughed, clearly not sensing the mood- or at least my mood.

"You got that right," Edward muttered under his breath, surprising me a little. I can understand- not really but for argument's sake- my supposed friends mocking Jacob, but Edward…. "Do you know him?" I half-demanded in an accusing tone. He eyed me for a second before lowering his chin slightly. "The Quileute tribe are not welcomed here." Seeing my disgusted facial reaction, Edward motioned to the beach with his shoulder. "Let's go on a walk." This wasn't a suggestion; this was an order. A polite, quiet order- but still an order. And what's stranger; I actually complied. Probably because I wanted to know what his problem was with Jacob. I mean, who wouldn't like Jacob? Well, aside from my potentially-shallow friends.

We walked for about two minutes without saying a word, and when I realized that Edward wasn't going to just come out and tell me, I decided to start. My mouth opened but before I could say anything, he thought now was the best time to intervene. "Athénaïs, what I said earlier…. I didn't mean to upset you." "Well, you did. Why would you say that the Quileute tribe isn't allowed here? Do you realize how inherently wrong that is? They are first-nations people." "It has nothing to do with that; we didn't buy their land or anything. We're not racists." Sure sounds like you are, I frowned. "It's just uh…. I'm sorry, Athénaïs, but I'm really not supposed to talk about it." "Uh huh, and this isn't racist how?"

Edward considered to himself, seeming almost at war in his mind over what to say. Funny; it kind of reminded me of how Jacob acted in the cafeteria the other day. Jacob… My eyes blinked several times at the unexpected sound of Edward sighing. "What do I have to say to make you see that this has nothing to do with race?" "Let Jacob, I mean the Quileute tribe come here." "That's not up to me." "You're not doing a very good job of convincing me. And I'll tell you right now Edward, I won't be friends with a…." "Do you promise…. not to tell anyone if I tell you?" He cut me off. "Uh, yes. Yes, of course," I watched intently as Edward proceeded to peer out into the water; once again organizing what he would say in his head.

"Uh…. um….. did you know that this area was once overrun with wolves?" "Wolves?" "And… did you know that a natural enemy of the wolf are those called "cold ones"?" "No… what's a "cold one"?" "Mmmmmm, do you know what a vampire is?" "Yes," that was an obvious question. "Do you know the history of vampires?" "What does any of this have to do with the Quileute tribe?" I was getting tired of him beating around the bush. "There's a legend, an old legend. Apparently, vampires came over from Europe with the first fur traders. They supposedly killed some first-nations people when they came out West. Now one tribe had a way to fight against these…. vampires. They used…. the strength of the wolf. Vampires and wolves don't get along very well," he shot me a small smirk, which I didn't return. He took this as his cue to continue.

"The legend goes that eventually that the cold ones and wolves made a treaty. If vampires promised to stay off Quileute land, then the natives would leave them in peace, because if they didn't….. the witch hunt that was going on in Europe at the time would come here." "Edward, you know that legend is just an allegory for the Europeans coming over and creating treaties to systematically take first-nation land, right?" "Uh, yes…." He didn't sound super confident in his answer; he didn't even look me in the eye. "They're vampires because suck land-blood; not human blood. Blood-sucking vampires are a European myth," I carried on, trying to convince him. "You're right, Athénaïs. It's just…. some people really hold true to the legend here."

Before I could remark on this, glasses-girl's scream echoed in the distance. We both turned to see Nick chasing her with a really long snake. Was that safe? I didn't pay attention to that long however when I felt Edward's eyes burning a hole through me again. Gazing back, I found what appeared to be a desperate, nearly pleading stare. He looked…. worried again. "Athénaïs…." "You're sure this has nothing to do with race-relations between current landowners and….." "No, absolutely not. I'm not that kind of guy, Athénaïs," his eyes softened onto mine. "What?" I eventually had to ask when he didn't say anything else. "Nothing, I'm just trying to figure you out…." "Huh?" Then he smiled; he sincerely, genuinely smiled….. "I can't read what's going on inside that beautiful head of yours."


	6. He in the Bookshop

I got home to find a package waiting on the front doorstep. It didn't have a name or return address; just my name, first and last. Huh, curious; I didn't order anything, and I doubt Daddy would "surprise" me like this. Like any diligent person, I brought it inside and straight up to my room. Upon opening it I found a history book. This did delight me; whoever delivered this must know I love history profusely. It wasn't just any old history book either. It was legends and mythology from the area. That's… interesting. Don't get me wrong! I love mythology and have read my fair share of Celtic, Greek, and Norse textbooks. Still, it was a bit weird, considering what Edward had told me earlier at the beach. Could he…? But no; that's impossible. How could he have gotten here before me?

Oh well, with a satisfied grin I went to make myself a cup of rocky road hot chocolate and snuggle down with my new reading material. It was rather fascinating actually. I was astonished to find the Quileute tribe mentioned by name in here. According to local folklore they descended from wolves and what's more, some current tribe members still had the "wolf" gene today. Wolf gene? What's that? Like a native version of the werewolf? Probably not. The first recorded werewolf was in a Greek legend, when Zeus transformed Lycaon into a wolf for cannibalism. The first recorded werewolf sighting was in the German town of Colongne and Bedburg in 1591. Do you see my point? Like vampires, werewolves as we know them are predominately European. Then again, these creatures do transfer over to various cultures throughout history in differing forms. So it's possible that the concept of werewolves existed out here too…. but that's likely not what this legend refers to. Right?

I'll be the first to admit that I was looking forward to seeing Jacob the following Monday. My Sunday was spent on the recliner in our living room reading, with Daddy glossing over the weekend newspaper and snoozing on the couch beside me- good bonding time. Despite what Edward said, I still felt uneasy about this so-called "treaty". There is no reason why the Quileute tribe shouldn't be able to go to La Push. And as far as I'm concerned, if they're not welcomed there then neither am I. Guess you could say I was salty over it all.

I also knew that seeing Jacob's smiling face would make me feel all better, so I patiently waited on the grass with my friends. I waited…. and waited. This must have been obvious since Jessica caught me off guard while I was scanning around for the millionth time. "He's not here." "Huh?" I suddenly blinked to her; she was busy basking in the sun's rays. "Jacob; he's not here. Didn't you hear? There was an attack on native land last night." "First-nations," I corrected, my alarm steadily growing. An attack?! What attack? "The Quileute kids never come to school if something like that happens on their land. They'll be back in a few days." "Does this happen often?" "Eh, once or twice a year," she shrugged nonchalantly. My eyes wandered off into nowhere worriedly until….

"Guys! I'm going to the prom with Eric! I just asked him, and I took control," glasses-girl rushed over to our table. Yes, you took control; something guys did all the time. There's no reason why women can't do the same. Still I smiled and gently patted her shoulder. "Good; you two will have a great time." "You sure you have to go out of town?" She hugged me. "Absolutely. The last time I saw my mother was in Ireland; I really wanna go." "Ireland?" "Ok well we should go shopping before all the dresses get cleaned out. You can come too, if you want," Jessica extended this half-hearted invitation my way. Ok, so maybe I wasn't the biggest fan of her either but for the sake of the group, I think we both decided to be cordial to each other; if so forcefully.

But my god, clothes shopping is so boring! It wasn't fun in Paris or London, and it wasn't fun here. I had to practically drag my feet through the store while they examined and assessed dresses. Ugh, just pick one already! They all look the same anyway. "I like this one, but I'm not sure about the one-shoulder thing." Apparently not. "I like this one," glasses-girl held this turquoise one up to her. "Yeah, I like the beading; you wouldn't need any jewelry," Jessica gave her two-cents. "What do you think? Lavender? Is that my color?" "I like it. I like that dusty rose one too. Ok, I like this one; it makes my boobs look good." Boobs look good? What? We all flinched when this creep tapped on the outside window. "Nice!" He hollered in, making the girls immediately blush. Heh, "nice". As I'd said before, the guys over here were soooooo much tamer than back home. He would have said a different four-letter word in Paris, I smirked inwardly.

To my horror, one of the freaks knocked on the glass at me. I frowned, giving him the "don't even try" face. Does it make me look stuck up? Depends on where I am and who you ask. Here, probably; in Brussels where I literally had three men stock me in a single weekend, absolutely not. Still, I couldn't escape my European hardness when it came to strange men like that; you just don't smile at strangers. Smiles equal invitations. But of course, Jessica and glasses-girl didn't know any of this; they were looking at me like I was some sort of monster, particularly Jessica. "Jesus, Amsterdam. He was just messing with you," her tone was as judging as can be. Ah, these innocent sheltered girls. They'd learn; sooner or later, they'd learn. Most likely when they visited downtown in a metropolitan city- like New York or London.

"Athénaïs, what do you think?" Always acting as the mediator, glasses-girl tried to smooth the tension by asking my opinion. Bad move; I have zero fashion sense. Still, I grinned- again- and studied her. "Lovely; you're a true vision." "You said for like the last five dresses though," Jessica just had to ruin it. This girl really doesn't like me; she probably thinks I'm one of those hashtag "not like other girls" girls. Uh hi? News flash- lots of girls don't like shopping for dresses; that doesn't make me special at all. Still…. still….. Just smile and say they look great. Who cares if she gets mad at me for saying that? "They're all nice." Which is code for they're all the same.

"You're not having fun are you, Athénaïs?" Glasses-girl's grin began to fade. "There's this bookstore across the street. You like books; why don't you go there and meet us at the restaurant?" Jessica suggested with enthusiasm. "That sounds grand; I'll do that," I got up, not trying to seem too in a hurry to leave. "She's right though, this looks awesome," I managed to overhear Jessica say before the door shut. Ok this made me smile a bit.

The bookstore was this lovely little European-style place. Ah, just like the used bookshops back home. With this great big grin plastered all over my face, I wandered up and down the rows to gaze over the countless titles. The owner of the shop- this really pale blonde-haired guy- watched me with a detached wonder. He leaned against one of the shelves, folding his arms in that way; the inspector fashion. I noticed him there but didn't address him until he spoke to me first.

"Looking for something, love?" Love….. I haven't been called that since Europe… People just don't do that out here and to be honest, it made me feel a little good to hear it. I flashed him a kind smile. "Just browsing. You have a fantastic store, sir." "Judging by your ascent, I take it you're from the continent?" "Well, yes. I was born here but lived in Europe most of my life." "I'm from Yorkshire myself." "Oh, I love York! I'll be going for a visit in August." The man didn't say anything right after this; merely observed me with this knowing glint in his stare. I could tell he was contemplating about something, though I had no idea what.

"Interesting," he finally announced without context. "What?" My eyebrow rose slightly. "They've seen you; both of them." "What do you mean? Who's seen me?" "I can see it; it's in your essence, like notes to a sympathy," he didn't answer my questions. My eyes grew in mild alarm and confusion. My essence? But I don't believe in personal essences; that's too Cartesian for my tastes. It didn't help when he gave the softest chuckle, shaking his head a little. "Well I'll be, a European girl too. And you're still so young." "Met who? Who are you talking about, sir?" With that, he looked me in the eye- softly, significantly. And I could have sworn something about him almost didn't seem human in that second. It was his eyes; for the briefest of moments they looked…. red. A pronounced crimson. "My little European lady- he lost his way all the way to you, and in you he found all the way back to himself."

 _Atticus_


	7. His Hand and Smile

He lost his way to me? What was that supposed to mean? The shop owner never did tell me who he was talking about. To tell you the truth, it freaked me out a bit. He obviously knew what and who he was referring to but left me totally in the dark. He could mean my father, but he didn't know my father, did he? Who else could it be? These were the queries I pondered while making my way to the restaurant. I also debated about telling my friends about the previous events. Maybe this man was known in the area for being crazy. Or maybe I'm the one being crazy. Ugh! I'm on the verge of gaslighting myself!

All of that disappeared when I turned the corner, however. There on the street were the creeps from earlier; the ones who banged on the window. It took them a second to see me and by then my brain had hatched a plan. You see, back in Europe I ran into situations like this. Not all the time but enough to know what to do. Quickly, I spun around and started walking in the opposite direction with a confident posture. This didn't work though, as proven when they began trailing me. Gees, it was usually one guy stocking me back home. I wasn't used to crowds of men but that didn't deter my plan. I was just getting ready to make a run for it, grabbing hold of my backpack straps. "Hey, where are you going, beautiful?!" One hollered out to me. Screw this! My feet adjusted, getting ready to bolt. But before I could make a move, a large strong hand reached out to grab me from behind.

That scared me. Or at least it did until I immediately shot my head over to see Jacob standing there. His strong grip didn't release on my arm. His stare was firm, furious, concerned, and kind all at once. "Don't make any sudden movements. Just stay by my side." Without thinking, my head nodding swiftly. Taking this to be my consent, Jacob moved his arm around mine in an escorting fashion. Then he walked the both of us back onto the street, looking more confident and determined than ever. Actually… it all happened so fast and I was so stunned to run into Jacob like that, I wasn't really that afraid anymore.

It took me ten seconds to realize what Jacob was doing. The looks on those creeps faces, Jacob's smug expression and deadly eyes, his arm protectively cradling mine and keeping me close. I knew when we walked past them, he was making a statement- an important statement. Jacob wasn't someone you'd want to go up against; he was physically too strong. Everything about him- from his demeanor to the glares he shot each and every one of them- were a declaration. He was clearly saying that they were not going to touch me; don't even look at me. I was not for them, and he was assertive that he felt it safe enough to take me by them.

Ok, I'm not gonna lie- that was one of the best moments of my life. How to describe it? Have you ever seen Howl's Moving Castle? Remember that scene where Howl escorts Sophie to the bakery? It was just like that. Someone so beautiful and strong coming to the rescue, and without being called. Jacob must have given off this air because the jerks instantly backed down, getting out of our way as we passed. Once we were down the street, Jacob looked down at me from the corner of his eye; he didn't let go of my arm.

"What are you doing wandering around out here so late?" His voice wasn't harsh per se, more so concerned. "I… I was going to…. wait, where did you come from?" Everything suddenly hit me like a title wave. I was here, with Jacob….. holding onto his arm. What?! How did this happen? Jacob's lips curled into a kind grin at my jumbled reaction. "I was out on a walk when I smelt… I mean when I heard your voice." "I don't remember saying anything," I didn't mean to say that out loud. "Uh, um… well….. Where to? I'll be your escort this evening." "Awe, you don't have to do that, Jacob. I'm just going to meet my friends." "No, I have to. I…."

Jacob's feet coming to a sudden, unexpected halt caught me off guard. Still holding onto my wrist, he made me turn in such a way as to look back at him. His eyes were pretty wide now, for some reason. "Where did you go?!" He demanded, alarming me a tad. "Uh, what do you mean?" "Why is he…! Um, I mean….. I just…. who else did you see tonight?" "Just my friends? Oh, and this man who owns a bookshop." "Bookshop? Wait… did he touch you?!" Jacob's voice panicked. I also flinched when he grabbed both my shoulders, holding me firmly in place. "W-what's wrong?! No, of course he didn't touch me. Wait, why? Is he a predator?!" "Yes! I mean… not in "that" way. Uh…. so, he didn't hurt you then?" "No? Why…? Hang on, how did you know about him?! Or that I saw him tonight?" I forced myself out of Jacob's grasp. His face went from puzzled to very distressed.

"Look, let's just go talk about this somewhere, Athénaïs," he went into instant repair mode. Too late. I wanted answers and I wanted them now. All the glorious feelings from earlier were all but gone. There were too many secrets flying around for my liking. "What's going on, Jacob?" My arms crossed for emphasis. "I'll tell you, I just…. we need to do this somewhere else, please." "I can't. My friends are waiting for me," that and my stomach thought that now was a perfect time to growl. Hearing this, he watched me for a second longer before sighing heavily. "Alright, come. I'll take you to meet your friends." I was about to deny his offer but for some bizarre reason, I couldn't formulate the words in my head. It was like, despite everything, I still wanted to be near him…. as insane as that sounds. And no; I still have no clue where these feelings came from. Instead, I remember my hand reaching out to take Jacob's, with his long fingers curling protectively around mine.

The restaurant, or rather diner- a different one than I frequented with my father- wasn't a far walk. Jacob didn't let go of my hand the whole way; he didn't say anything either. But I did catch him peaking at me through the corner of his eye a couple of times. This made me smile; deep, deep down I smiled. This grin vanished at the sight of Jessica and glasses-girl standing outside, presumably waiting for me. "Erm, hi guys. I'm sorry I'm late." "Where were you?" Glasses-girl asked me first; I really should learn her name sometime. "Uh, well…" "We messaged you." "Yeah, we waited but… we were like starving and um….."

Both their eyes drifted up to the tall, broad figure coming up behind me. Their expressions were priceless; shocked and exhilarated all at once. Jacob flashed his classic brilliant grin; the one that made hearts stop. "Sorry I made Athénaïs late. We just ran into each other and….. got talking," his smile grew. This guy, I eyed him pleasantly surprised. He's smooth; I'll give him that. My friends gave these splendid smiles too, shaking their heads speedily. "N-no. No, we totally understand. We mean….. that happens, right?" It does? "Um, we were…" "We were just leaving," we watched as they went by us. "So, Amsterdam, do you wanna….?"

"Uh, I think I should make sure Athénaïs gets something to eat," Jacob quickly intervened. I blinked back to him; the sincerity and desperation in his tone… Everything he said in regard to me sounded….. so heartfelt, and natural… if that's not too narcissistic. It was so organic- this raw affection- that my head nodded before I could fully comprehend the scenario. "I'll drive you home myself," super-relieved, Jacob's posture instantly relaxed. The girls also noticed, their grins beginning to fade. "That's so thoughtful," glasses-girl turned to face me. "It's really thoughtful," Jessica tacked on. "Y-yes, thank you, Jacob," I managed to blurt out. Then I spun to address my friends as they began to make their exit.

"So, I'll… we'll see you at school tomorrow?" "Sounds good," I said, still kind of foggy from this evening's events. "See ya." Jacob waited until they were gone before smiling down to me; a striking smile. I still had questions, I slowly realized as my feet turned back in his direction. So many questions… "Shall we?" Jacob's hand reached out for mine; the perfect complement to his flawless smile. Yes, I needed to start asking questions; there were just too many variables to ignore. A radiant smile began to blossom over my own lips. Still, whenever he looked at me like that, with those endless eyes and authentic elated expression….. I had questions, but when he looked at me and I seriously considered it, I don't think I actually cared if I got the answers.


End file.
